Online travel firm Opodo to appoint corp comms boss

February 22, 2002

Online travel firm Opodo - formed by an alliance of nine European
airlines, including British Airways and Lufthansa - is on the verge of
hiring a PR chief to lead its corporate communications across
Europe.

The company, which launched in the UK last month, confirmed it is close
to a decision on who will manage its pan-European three-strong PR team
and agency roster following the departure of Natasha Tobin.

Tobin left Opodo in November, before its UK launch, due to personal
reasons.

She has been replaced in the interim by Gail Gillogaley, formerly PR
manager with information service Teletext.

On the role, Gillogaley said: 'The corporate communications manager
looks after all of our PR, both consumer and corporate, across
Europe.

'We have an office in Germany and will have offices in each country we
launch in, but PR is co-ordinated and managed out of London,' she
added.

The role reports to Opodo chief executive Giovanni Bisignani, formerly
chief executive of Alitalia, which is one of the airlines backing
Opodo.

Opodo has a three-strong European agency roster, with MacLaurin retained
for PR in the UK.

The firm, whose name derives from 'Opportunity to do', launched in
Germany in December, followed by the UK last month. It plans to launch
in France later this year.

The other airlines backing Opodo are Aer Lingus, Air France, Austrian
Airlines, Finnair, Iberia and KLM.